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Friday, December 30, 2016

Look Inside the December 2016 issue Issue of the Arkansas Archivist for these and other features

The ASA Introduces New Quarterly Lecture Series

In January, we will be debuting a new lecture series entitled “From Pen to Podium.” The quarterly lecture series will feature hour-long lectures by Arkansas authors in their work. Dr. Kenneth C. Barnes of the University of Central Arkansas will kick off the series on January 17 at 7 p.m. He will be speaking about his book Anti-Catholicism in Arkansas: How Politicians, the Press, the Klan, and Religious Leaders Imagined an Enemy.

The ASA Announces 2017 Events Calendar

In addition to the quarterly lecture series, Pen to Podium, we have planned events that will interest a wide range of those interested in Arkansas history. In honor of Black History Month, the Black History Commission of Arkansas and ASA will present “Black Political Engagement in Arkansas,” on February 4, 2017. The event will focus on the history of African Americans in the state’s political life. The ASA will team up with the Arkansas Genealogical Society on May 6, 2017, to present “In the Genealogical Trenches: Tracing Your Wartime Ancestry.” There are other events coming, read further for the complete list of events.

Black History Commission News

Communities come and go. Some thrive, some disappear, leaving only the name of the community on old maps or land deeds. This month, we focus on the Pankey Community, a section of land in Pulaski County that holds a very important historical distinction. The Pankey Community was developed by one of the few female developers in the early twentieth century, and possibly the only African American female developer in the state.

The ASA Wishes a Happy Retirement to Jane Hooker

After 33 years of service to the History Commission and now State Archives, Archival Manager Jane Hooker will retire on December 31. Hooker has served under three different directors, Dr. John L. Ferguson, Dr. Wendy Richter, and Dr. Lisa Speer. During the time that she has been on staff, Jane has seen and been a part of a lot of change at the agency.

St. Bartholomew Catholic Church and School was established about 1909 at Eighth and Gaines Streets in Little Rock, Arkansas, founded by Bishop John B. Morris of the Diocese of Little Rock. In 1910, Bishop Morris invited the Divine Word Missionaries, whose mission was to specialize in the pastoral work of southern African Americans, to be in charge of the new church. Reverend Joseph Hoflinger of the Divine Word was assigned to St. Bartholomew, followed by the Sister Servants of the Holy Ghost from Techny, Illinois. The Sister Servants replaced the Benedictine Sisters of Shoal Creek, Arkansas, who had conducted a fledgling school during the 1909-1910 school year.

In 1911, the church and school moved from Eighth and Gaines Street to a new two-story brick building at Sixteenth and Marshall streets. The school was dedicated on September 17 and classes began on September 18. The school, which housed kindergarten through twelfth grades, flourished in the African American community for many years. The school closed in the spring of 1975.

This collection contains photocopies of student enrollment lists from 1910-1975. The files are arranged chronologically.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Page Mortuary was established in 1947, in Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, by Theodore R. Page, and his brother William “Bubba” Page. It was originally located at 418 Malvern Avenue, in the African American business district, before relocating to 409 Pleasant Street in 1972. The Pleasant Street location had once served as the resident home for the nuns of St. Gabriel Catholic School.

Theodore Page was born May 21, 1918 in Hot Springs, the son of James Will “Pete” and Minnie Ash Page. Pete Page was an early entrepreneur who owned several businesses on Malvern Avenue. Theodore graduated from Langston High School in Hot Springs, and mortuary science school in Nashville, Tennessee in 1941. In 1942 he joined the army and served in the Philippines during World War II.

Theodore married Ernestine Rosborough, and they had one child, Harriett Page. Ernestine and Theodore's sister, Constance, worked in the business as attendants, and did hair styling and make-up for female clients.

He sold his business in 1998 to Brandon Funeral Home of Malvern, Arkansas. On January 13, 2003, the Hot Springs location was destroyed in an early morning fire. Theodore Page died on June 15, 2005. He was a life-long member of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Hot Springs.

The project was made possible with a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Black History Advisory Committee (now the Black History Commission of Arkansas).

This collection contains death records and burial transit permits, 1950-1970.

Monday, December 19, 2016

The Arkansas State Archives and its branch archives, the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives, will be closed Fri., Dec. 23rd, Sat., Dec. 24th, and Mon., Dec. 26th in observance of Christmas.

The Arkansas State Archives will also be closed on Mon., Jan. 2nd in observance of New Year's Day.

The Arkansas State Archives, in conjunction with its sister agency Historic Arkansas Museum, is launching a series of book lectures in 2017. The lecture series, Pen to Podium: Arkansas Historical Writers' Lecture Series, will be held quarterly and will feature Arkansas authors Ken Barnes, Elizabeth Hill, Brooks Blevins, and Erik Wright, Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst announced today.

“This collaboration between our Department of Arkansas Heritage agencies is just one example of how we are working together to present our unique Arkansas history and culture to new audiences,” said Hurst.

The first lecture will be held from 7 - 8 p.m. on Tues., Jan. 17, at Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock and will feature Ken Barnes, who will present, Anti-Catholicism in Arkansas: How Politicians, the Press, the Klan, and Religious Leaders Imagined an Enemy, 1910–1960. Before the lecture, a reception sponsored by the Friends of the Arkansas State Archives will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the atrium of the museum.

The lecture is free but registration is required. Registration is limited and deadline for registration will be Fri., Jan. 13.

The Arkansas State Archives is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and is responsible for collecting and maintaining the largest publicly held collection of materials on Arkansas history in the world. The State Archives has two branch locations; the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is located in Washington. Other agencies under the Department of Arkansas Heritage include the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

For more information or to register, contact events.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Jonesboro Civitan Club is an affiliate of the Civitan International. Civitan Clubs organized in 1917 to provide resources for individuals and groups in their communities, particularly those with birth defects and disabilities. The name "civitan" was formed from the Latin word "civitas" which means citizenship. "Builders of Good Citizenship" became the motto for the Civitan Clubs.

The Jonesboro Civitan Club was organized in the 1950s and is an active civic group, supporting organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Northeast Arkansas Comprehensive Learning Center, Arkansas Special Olympics, United Cerebral Palsy, and others.

These scrapbooks contain photographs and written descriptions of club activities, including recruiting new members, organizing new clubs, supporting charitable organizations, and attending international, national, state, and district meetings.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

William "Cush" Quesenbury was born August 21, 1822, in Crawford County, Arkansas. In 1839, he began to write for newspapers in Van Buren, Arkansas. In the 1840s, he studied under the painter, John Mix Stanley, and began a career in drawing sketches, caricatures, and cartoons. Quesenbury fought in the Mexican War in 1846, after which he returned to Arkansas to teach. He started his own newspaper in Fayetteville in 1853, the "South West Independent," which lasted until 1857. In 1860, he took over the Fayetteville newspaper, "Arkansian" for Elias Boudinot, who moved to Little Rock to become the editor for the "True Democrat." When the Civil War began, Quesenbury fought for the Confederacy with Albert Pike in Indian Territory. He moved to Texas following the war but returned to Arkansas in 1876, eventually relocating to Neosho, Missouri, in 1880. He died on August 31, 1888.

This collection contains correspondence and literary works of William Quesenbury.

Correspondence (Reel MG00207)

1888 January 18: William Quesenbury, Neosho, Missouri, to Elias Boudinot